This invention relates to an improved hydraulic cylinder construction and, more particularly, to a cylinder construction for use on a snow scraper blade mounting for trucks and a service kit therefor.
This invention arose out of a need to minimize the down time involved in repairing a hydraulic cylinder mounted on a truck for use in controlling the elevation of a snow scraper blade. A typical hydraulic cylinder mounting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3 086 303. The subject matter of this patent is to be incorporated herein by reference. The difficulty in gaining access to the hydraulic cylinder after it, along with the spring housing, has been removed from the truck is to effect a compressing of the spring in order to facilitate removal of the nuts and bolts limiting the downward travel of the hydraulic cylinder within the spring housing. Since the spring is large and the spring force is also large, there is a risk of injury if the spring compression activity is not carefully controlled while the travel limiting nuts and bolts are removed.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a hydraulic cylinder mounting assembly which can be easily assembled and disassembled from a truck as well as easily accessing the hydraulic cylinder to facilitate a repair thereto or replacement thereof.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a service kit for facilitating removal of the hydraulic cylinder from the spring housing.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a service kit, as aforesaid, wherein the force of the spring is overcome to enable the hydraulic cylinder to be removed from the spring housing.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a service kit, as aforesaid, which is easy to use and is not dangerous to the user while it is in use.
The objects and purposes of the invention are met by providing a hydraulic cylinder and a service kit therefor for facilitating removal of the hydraulic cylinder from the spring housing. The service kit is usable in association with a hydraulic cylinder having a cylinder housing, and an elongate piston rod reciprocal in the cylindrical housing and a spring abutment collar adjacent a first end from which projects the piston rod. The hydraulic cylinder is mounted in a spring housing which is open at opposite ends while simultaneously providing a spring abutment at a second and remote from a third end whereat the piston rod projects from the spring housing. A stop ring encircles the hydraulic cylinder adjacent the first end and is secured to the spring housing adjacent the third end. A spring is oriented in a compressed state between and engaging the spring abutment collar and the spring abutment to continually urge the cylinder housing and the spring abutment collar thereon toward the stop ring. The cylinder housing has a fluid connection at a fourth end remote from the first end. The hydraulic cylinder additionally includes an opening having a first internal thread therein. The service kit includes a coupling member having a first external thread at one end and an enlarged head at the other end. The first external thread is configured to threadedly couple directly to the first internal thread. The service kit also includes an abutment member which has a hole therethrough configured to loosely receive therethrough the first external thread but preventing the enlarged head from passing therethrough.